Coronavirus: Workers and trade unions are fighting on the frontline
Socialist Party Scotland
Workers in local authorities, education, the NHS and across the public services are among those on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.
After a decade of austerity these services are hugely over-stretched and massively under-resourced.
We spoke to two leading members of the trade union Unison, Jim McFarlane and Brian Smith, about how workers and the trade unions are responding to the crisis.
Jim and Brian are branch secretaries of the Dundee and Glasgow City Unison local government branches and are also members of Socialist Party Scotland
Brian Smith: “In terms of the scale of what we are dealing with, this is like an all-out strike and a red weather warning at the same time.
“As trade unionists we need to do basic tasks of supporting members who are worried and uncertain. They need to know the union has their back. That includes seeking agreements with the employer about issues like who continues working, who can work from home, who needs to self-isolate and so on.
“Crucially, that any worker sent home still receives full pay; that pregnant staff are fully supported as well as those with underlying health conditions. Our sick pay agreement is for up to six months on full pay – something the trade unions have fought to defend. This level of sick pay should be available across the economy – which would help take the pressure of workers feeling they have to come to work while unwell for fear of not being paid.
“The coronavirus crisis is putting huge pressure on councils. There are three priorities. To continue to provide social care for the 13,000 people in Glasgow who need it, including home care visits and the staffing of residential units for the elderly and children with disabilities etc. Cleansing and public health, and, finally, schools, which are now closing from Friday. Nevertheless, some schools will remain open for key workers, those who rely on school meals and vulnerable pupils.
“The impact of austerity and the hundreds of millions of pounds in cuts to Glasgow’s budgets is certainly an issue. Many of our members deliver social care to vulnerable people at home and also in residential settings. The lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for social care workers is a big issue. There is not enough PPE equipment for social care workforce and unions are fighting for full PPE to protect our members but just as importantly to protect the clients.”
Jim McFarlane: “The numbers of Dundee council staff in self-isolation has doubled in the last seven days. Council construction workers – joiners, plumbers, electricians etc – have been sent home for now as they cannot safely visit to people’s homes to carry out work and repairs.
“PPE is a real issue for our social care members and others. At the start of the crisis there were no face masks at all. There were gloves and aprons but a real lack of soap and gel. We’ve been told my management that they won’t be available until 2 April. And as for tests for Covid-19, those have been non-existent.
“As a union branch, we’ve sourced 20/30 litres of hand sanitizer gel as a stop gap. Our activists will put this into 100ml bottles – courtesy of Dundee City Unison – to get out to those who are working, for example with vulnerable adults and children. This will be available in a couple of days. It’s one example of how the trade unions and workers can and are indispensable in the battle against the virus.
“Councils cannot respond sufficiently unless the voice of the workers is heard and acted on. The most effective way of delivering services and protecting staff and service users will come from workers and their unions. For that reason we are demanding to be included in Covid-19 critical incident planning.
“Dundee council source some social care from third sector providers whose workers don’t have the same pay and protection that highly unionised workers do. Our union is demanding that sick pay for those staff in the third sector, who only are entitled to SSP, are the same as Dundee council – full pay while sick for up to six months.
“Other issues we are fighting on include that any worker ill with symptoms of the virus or who has to self-isolate get full pay and will not be included in any absence management procedures.
“In the neighbouring local authority, Angus, the unions have just won a commitment that proposed attacks and terms and conditions of council workers will not go ahead, at least for now.
“Councils are going to be spending a lot more than was budgeted for as a result of dealing with coronavirus. On no account can this be used as an excuse for further cuts. We demand that both the Scottish and Westminster governments underwrite all spending incurred by local authorities through this medical emergency.
“Which brings us back to the point that any attempt to attack jobs, pay and conditions after this crisis is over will be met by even more resistance by the trade unions. For that reason, we must oppose all and any attempts to ban workers’ strikes and protests by the government.
“We’ve heard a lot from pro-austerity politicians about how important health and public sector workers are. The same politicians, Tory, Labour, SNP, who after this crisis will carry on with their onslaught against public services. Workers who do take action are defending services and protecting communities. This crisis shows that NHS and council cuts can only lead to society being less able to protect workers and the population as a whole.
Both Brian and Jim raised the need for city-wide trade union coordination through the Covid-19 outbreak. “Trades councils could play a key role to assist in fighting attempts by bosses to lay-off, sack or cut wages of workers, especially in the private sector, hospitality etc. As well as fighting for increasing levels of workers’ supervision and monitoring of workplaces, service delivery, food distribution and so on.”
Socialist Party Scotland have produced a Workers’ Charter outlining what needs to be done to tackle this health, economic and social crisis which can be read here.
